Method of conditioning shoes and analogous products



April 24, 1928. 1,667,315

a. D. HARRIS v METHOD OF CONDITIONING SHOES AND ANALOGOUS PRODUCTS Filed Jan.l7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 24, 1928.

G. D. HARRlS METHOD OF CONDITIONING SHOES FT 5D AALOGOUS PRODUCTS Filed Jan.l7, 3,9 35

Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GORDON D. HARRIS, OF FREEPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE INDUSTRIAL DRYER CORPORATION, OF STAMFORD. CONNECTICUT,

NECTICUT.

A. CORPORATION -01 CON- IldIETHOID .OF CONDITIONING SHOES AND ANALOGOUS PRODUCTS.

Application filed January This invention pertains to the art of and apparatus 'for conditioning various products, such as shoes, wherein the various components of such product contain moisture to different degrees, i. e. one or more components of the article contain a certain percentage of moisture, whereas other components of the same article contain a higher or lower percentage of moisture. As an example in'the case of shoes, the counter may and in practice does contain a higher percentage of moisture than the upper, due to the fact that the upper is in a more or less dry condition owing to exposure to air .during the various stages of its production, whereas the counter is more or less saturated withmoisture to increaseits pliability in the operation of shaping or molding it; and, furthermore, the boxtoe of the embryo shoe may or does contain a still greater percentage of moisture owing to its composition which renders the moisture content in excess of that resent in either the upper or the counter. l )'ue to this variation in the moisture content of the components of the product, the operation of conditioning the )roduct after the various componentsihave heen assembled in the now familiar process of making shoes, as well as other articles, is attended with much loss of time, resulting ultimately in increased cost of production and ,delays in filling orders for the commodity; but more serious still is the efi'e ct upon the article/as a whole of unequal dryingvof the various components, which inequality in drying results in unequal shrinkages'of the com onents and the development of stresses which deforms the product so that itis out of shape and does not fit or wear.

' According to my invention the product is conditioned by the elimination of moisture equally from its various components .to the end that all of such components will dry equally with relationto each other, whereby unequal shrinkages inthe components of the products are avoided and said product is kept in a proper condition. Freedom from wrinkling is a pronounced characteristic of the various components of the product, for the reason that all of such components shrink equally so as to conform tothe last. Again, no unequal stresses on the various components exist in the product owing to 17, 1925. Serial No. 3,139.

the equal 'dryin of such com onents, and various other a vantages are a 0 obtained, such as freedom from blooming, so-called, sweating, and other trade conditions now knownin the shoe trade as detrimental to the product.

The object of my invention is to condition shoes and other productswith a View to improving the quality and effect economy in the manufacture of such products; further, to secure these results each day in the year regardless of weather conditions and without changing appreciably the specification (humidity and temperature schedules) of operation or the time schedule of operation due to weather conditions or the seasons of the year; and to produce articles winch are'superior in every way to the ordinary commercial article, free from the existing and recognized defects and free,

grade the to imperfections in manufacture, there insuring quality, uniform prpductlon, an eflecting a savin in lasts, and m the time required for t e treatment. My invention in the process of conditionmg the product, such as shoes, is designed to be carried into practice by the aid of a suitable apparatus, which is illustrated drawings, wherein V Figure 1 is a vertical section apparatus, the arrows showing the direction of circulation of the drying atmosphere.

Figure 2 .is a vertical cross section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 through the products sections of a plurality of units of a multiple form ofthe-drying apparatus.

In the form of apparatus shown, A is the products section or chamber for containing racks B which carry'the products, such as shoes, to be conditioned, 1. e, dried'by the elimination of excess moisture uniforml from all parts oncomponents of the product. The racks B may be of an suitable construction to carry a load of s oes, but as shown each rack is of skeleton formation to provide for thefree circulationtherethrough of the drying atmosphere, is a wheeled structure to facilitate its intr0- one practical form of and, furtheneach rack through the duction and removal with reference to the products sectionor chamber A.

vided by vertical walls a, b, to produce a conditioning chamber C, and a distributing chamber or duct D, the latter being intermediate the products chamber A and conditioning chamber C. The wall 6 separating chamber A from chamber or duct D is provided with a series of ports d through which the drying atmosphere is free toflow from duct D into'chamber A, the series of such ports being useful in distributing the flow of the drying atmosphere equally in the varions parts of the products chamber, from top to bottom thereof. The effective area of the ports (1 is controllable by adjustment of gates or valves E, one for each horizontal port or series of ports (2, Said valves or ates may be of any construction suitable for t e purposes,.but.it is preferred to adjustably fasten each valve or gate-E in position relatively to the port d controlled by said valve or gate, the said adjustment being obtained by the use of slots and bolts in the manner of fastening and adjusting the gates or valves h shown in Figure 2 and hereinafter described, whereby each valve may be raised or lowered as required relatively to the port d for efiecting ayariation in the effective area of said port. k

The conditioning chamber G is adapted to contain means of one form or another for supplying the required heat units to the drying atmosphere. Such heaters may be either steam coils, indicated at F, or electric heaters indicated atG, but the heating means are in the line of flow of the drying atmosphere which passes downwardly within the chamber C and emerges from the bottom part thereof, into the chamber or duct D, whence the atmosphere is distributed throu h ports d uniformly into the products cham r.

At the other end, the products chamber is I "divided by a vertical w l f to Produce an education flue or chamber H, said wall being provided with a vertical series of outlet orts g, the area of which ports is controllablb by valves or gates 71,, the latter being slottedat IL and fastened adjustably by bolts 72?. Said ports 9 and gates h at the'd'elivery'end of chamber A correspond to the portsd and gatelsL E at the feeding end of pro'ductschamer v The conditionin chamber C is surmounted b a dome whereas the eduction cham er is surmounted by a similar dome' H, said domes providing-for the convenient attachment of the circulating pipes I I" which are connected to the circulatin fan or blower J As shown, the pi e1 lea s from the dome H of the exhaust no to the eye or intake of the blower, whereas the pipe I picted as a belt 9' running to the blower from K, is 'an inlet duct for fresh atmospheric air, connected to the crown of dome H, and within this inlet duct is-a damper or valve is, adapted for control in a suitable way; either byhand, or by automatic means of one form or another, whereby the gate may be openedQclosed, or set for shutting off or determining the volume of fresh air supplied to the drying atmosphere in its cycle of operatio'nswithin the apparatus.

L is an exhaust ipe connected to the crown of the dome 6' for the conditioning chamber, said pipe having a damper or valve Z adapted to. be opened, closed or set either by hand, or by automatic means of one form or another, for controlling the outflow of a given volume of the dryin atmosphere, v As shown in Figure 2, t e apparatus may be, and preferably is, constructed in multiule of a determined humidity content, and Ian temperature of the drying atmosphere determined initially-by experiment as best suited to the particular commodity to be treated.

Briefly stated, the principle of the operation 'is based upon the well known theoryof two 105 I I bodies of different densities uahzing, it being an accepted law of physics that dry air will become humid when in contact wit a wet surface and, further, that a dry sulfwet or moisture laden air.

It is well known in the production of shoes, 7 the components-including the box toe, counface will become moist whenin contacfwith l lo ter, insole and upper, all possess varying degrees of moisture, and when such different parts are assembled with respect to a last,

the problem is presented of creating a condi-- tion that will prevent the most dry com poneni; or part, usually the-upper and insole,

from drying too rapidly and at the same time. I

to dry the wetter parts (counter and box toe), to the same condition as the part or parts which it is desired to prevent fromv fur-' ther drying. By controlling theelimination I of moisture from. the least dry section or 129 leads from the outlet of the blower-to the component of the. product, whileat the same dome G of the conditionin chamber C. As'

is usualmeans are (provide for rotating the fan atthe require speed for circulating i1? glven volume (cubicfeet) of air within a the wetter part or component of the product,

ectly tothe last for the rea- 130 i son that during the dryin period the various moisture contents of t e shoe are equal ized, and all parts or sections of the shoe will be dried inrelation to each other, and the shoe is conditioned free from wrinkles and will retain its shape so as to obtain increased wear and to fit properly to the foot.

, to a temperature best suited to attain a diffusion of moisture in the wetter parts of components (counter and box toe) of the shoe, the heaters for the drying atmosphere operating to supply thereto during the cycle of its recirculation the heat units in ratio to 4 erations, let it be assume the moisture evaporated from the product.

For maintaining the specification of operation during the dryin and conditioning period of the product, 2111f to take care of the increasing humidity in the drying atmos-. phere, which increase of humidity is occasioned by the elimination of moisture from the product, such atmosphere is reconditioned continuously during its cycle of operation within the apparatus. Such reconditioning of the drying atmosphere is'efiected byexhausting through the valved exit pipe L a certain volume of moisture laden air and compensating for the discharged air a like amount of fresh atmospheric air or new air supplied through the valved intake pipe K, whereby the drying atmosphere flowing through the chamber A and into contact with the product carried" by the racks Bi-will remain or always be subjected to treatment according to the scheduled specification of operations.

As an example of the s ecificat-ion of opthat the roduct to be treated is an incomplete shoe, t e components of which have moisture contents which vary-in the difl'erent'components at the period of assemblage of such components into the unfinished shoe, that the time required for the operation of conditioning a shoe is determined to be ei ht (8) hours, more or less, for evaporatingt e total amount of moisture present in the various components of the shoe, and that the drying atmosphere is conditioned to a temperature of 120 Fahr. and %humidity. The operating temperature of the drying atmosphere is suited to diffuse the contained moisturein the difi'erent parts of the shoe, whereas the percentage of humidity equals or corresponds to-that part of the shoe having the least moistlll. s

Now, thespeed of the fan is determined -K of a correspondin to be such as will move 1,200 cubic feet of air per minute, and that the apparatus has been operated for a period of timeso as to build up or condition the atmosphere to the required temperature (120 Fahr.) and humidity (85%). The atmosphere is circulated within a closed path constituted by the chambers A, C, I), H, the pipes I I, and the fan, the valves is, Z, being closed, so that the atmosphere flows from the distributing flue D through the selective air ports (i. and flows thence through the chamher A and into contact with the shoes on the racks B, thence through ports 9 into flue H, and thence through pipe I, fan J, and pipe I, back to the chamber C. In the operation, the valves is, l,.are opened a determined amount to permit the discharge through pipe L of, say, 200 cubic feet of.

air per minute, and the inflow through pipe volume ('200 cubic feet per minute) of resh atmospheric air, but at a certain stage in the operation, there is only 1,000 cubic feet of, air circulated per minute'by the fan, and that the drying atmosphere contains, say, one (1) per cent excess humidity and that its temperature has decreased-"to 118 F ahr. due to the absorption of moisture from the material and the exchange of heat for moisture. the air is drawn through flue H by the fan, but the valve k being open, 200 cubic feet of fresh or new air is added to the atmosphere owing to the inflow of fresh air thus added to the v drying atmosphere isthoroughly mixed by the motion of the fan, and the mixed atmosphereis forced through chamber 0 into flue D by way of pipe I and header C, where 200 cubic feet of air per minute is discharged through pipe L, the valve I being open, thus reducing the volume of the drying atmosphere to 1,000 cubic feet circulated per minute by the fan through the chamber A, the mixed air flowing into contact with the heaters F G, whereby the air is reconditioned and heated to the operating specifications.

The compensating air admitted by pipe K and discharged air which flows through pipe -L will change to meet the conditions of greatest excess humidity and the least excess humidity. It is to be understood that the greatest excess humidity and the least excess humidity are in no way connected with or related to thesp'ecification of operation, for the reason that the scheduled speci- H containing section or component of the shoe.

The reference to excess humidity means the Inn greatest amount of moisture evaporated from the shoes and this occurs at the beginning of the process or treatment of the evaporation become latent and in no way affect the operatingtemperature of the air.

The heaters F or G, or both, are availed of for reheating the drying atmosphere during its cycle of operations within the apparatus;

Where it is found that the rate of diffusion (i'., e..1noisture equalizing and coming to the sJrface) varies between, say, leather sole and a' eounter composed of materials to secure hardness in such counter, then the component that diffuses slowest (1. e. allows its contained moisture to come slowet to the surface) is utilized to determine the drying v and conditioning period, and if it is found that eight (8) hours is the proper time within which the products may be dried, then the moisture load is determined, i. e. the total moistur'e to be evaporated from a drying charge of a certain number of shoes.

This amount of water is divided down to the amount of water to be evaporated per minute, and such amount constitutes the excess humidity to be removed from the product.

Having ascertained this factor in the drying problem, the valve 1 in the exit pipe I; is adjusted to a determined point for discharging a certain volume of moisture laden airfrom the circulatory path fdr the dryingflatmosphere, and concurrently with the ad u st-.

ment of the means for discharging some oi; the .air the valve In in the; fresh air intake is opened to such an extent .as to permit the inflow of an equal volume, of freshatmotpheric air tobe mixed with the drying atmosphere, such inflow of fresh air serving to maintain the fan volume of.1,200 cubic feet per minute. "In other words, after determining that the drying period for a given charge of the products shall be eight (8) hours, and that the total amount of moisture to be evaporated from the shoes would be.

a charge the number of cubic feet per minute 200 grains of water vapor per minute'over 7 the entire period of eight (8) hours, then;v

the apparatus is'set for the exit 'L to dis= of the air' that would equal or carry 200 ains of water -vapor,*and concurrently the rbsh air intake is permits the inflow of a corcure-by; Letters Patent is:

responding volume of fresh atmospheric air to restore to the drying atmos here the amount of air discharged throng Y L. This discharge of a given volume of moist air and its replacement by a corre- 'sponding volume of fresh air maintains the drying atmosphere .at its 'requiredhumidity and such atmosphere is reheated during its cycle of operations so as to be kept up'to the specification of operations, the eifect of which is to keep the least wet parts of the shoes from drying too rapidly or to an exthe exit cess, and, further, the drying and condi-- tioning period for a given charge of shoes is intended to meet the rate of diffusion of those parts of the shoes which are slowest in permitting the contained moisture to equalize and come to the surface of such parts or components; r

B conducting the conditioning of the pro uct in accordance with a specification of operation, I am enabled to dry all parts or the various components of the shoes, or other articles, in relation to each other with out creating'stresses or vstrains in any one or more parts. Furthermore, my mode of procedure prevents over drying of any one or more components of the shoes, for the reason that. such parts as are commercially' dried prior to conditioning are maintained at the moisture content of the other parts the parts are gradually dried uniformly during the given drying period.

By referenceto Figure 1 it will be noted that division walls I), f, are provided at the wvhich contain more moisture, and thus all respective sides of the products chamber,

that vertical series of ports (I, g, are provided in the respective walls,-and' that ates or valves operable at will are positions adjacent such ports (1, g, for varying the effective areas of the ports.

The air ports 9 in wall f are sd related to the air ports d in wall 6 as to insure the flow of the dryin' atmosphere directly across the products c amber, and uniformly through the racks B and the drying charge constituted by the load of shoes on such. racks. The gates E associated with the ports d on the pressure side ofthe products chamber are shlftabl'eso as to beopened or closed in amanner to establish an even head or pressure of the- J-j drying atmosphere through'the several ports of the series, thus I 'securinga'n even distribution and proper velocity of the atmosphere as it enters the dryifig'and conditioning'chamber A.

a e apparatus disclosed herein forms the subject-matter of a separate a plication Serial No. 264,587, filed March 26t 1928, as a division of this application based on the method.

Having thus fully described the invendesire to'setion, what I claim as new and xio it'resh 2. In the art of conditioning unfinished 1. In the art of conditioning products the different components of which have varying moisture contents,

products within a cham- 5 her to a drying atmosphere the humidity of which corresponds substantiallyio that component having the lowest moisture content, circulating the atmosphere within a closed circulatory path which includes said chamber for the product, heating the atmosphere to a desired temperature during the repeated vcycles of its circulation, and con ditioning the drying atmosphere by discharging from its circulatory path a given volume of moist air and feeding to the circulatory path a corresponding volume of atmospheric air.

shoes the various components of which durture contents of varying degrees, the process which consists in exposing the shoe within a chamber to the action of a drying atmosphere the humidity of which is approximately equal to that component of the shoe having the lowest moisture content and the temperature of which atmosphere is efiective in diffusing the moisture within the shoe components possessing the excess moisture content, circulating the drying atmosphere within a closed path including said chamber, heating the atmosphere during the repeated cycles of its circulation, and conditioning the atmosphere by discharging from the ciring the production of the shoe possess mois-' culatory path a'ogiven volume of moist air and feeding to said circulatory path a corresponding volume of fresh atmospheric air whereby said reheating and conditioning oi the atmosphere during its recirculation serve to'maintain said atmosphere at a prescribed humidity and temperature suited "to diffuse the moisture content of certain shoe components and to retard the evaporation from other shoe components, to the end that various shoe components are dried with relation to each other.

3. In the art of conditioning shoes the components of which possess difl'erent 'de- 'grees of moisture content, the process which consists 1n subgectmg the shoes to the action of a drying atmosphere the humidity of which is approximately equal to that component of the shoe having the least moisture content, circulating the drying atmosphere into repeated contacts with the shoes, and conditioning such atmosphere as to temperature and humidity during such circulation.

4:. In the art of conditioning shoes the components of which contain different degrees of moisture content, the process which consists in exposing the shoes to contact with a flowing atmosphere the humidity of which is approximately equal to that component of the shoe having the least moisture content.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 5th da of January, 1925.

GO DON D. HARRIS. 

